Mornings
by ArryaDenabi
Summary: Draco has always had a hard, cold exterior which was hiding who he truly was under a mask of selfishness and snide. But then he met Luna, and was enchanted by her, and she eventually tore down that barrier and exposed his true, kinder nature. Sometimes good things happen when opposites attract. And so much can happen in a single morning. REVIEW PLEASE! All feedback is appreciated!


Luna woke up that morning like she did every morning; with her red and purple sock covered feet on the pillow and her blonde, wavy-haired head near the footboard. She would've never, ever supposed that this morning would continue in such an out of the ordinary way, even for her. She nimbly hopped out of bed and drifted out of the nearly empty Ravenclaw common room, the hour still being too early for many people to yet be awake. But Luna had always been an early riser; the early hours had a special magic all their own, and Luna never liked to miss a sunrise, or watching the incoming owls return to the owlery after a night of hunting. She wandered the quiet corridors until she found herself in front of a large, open window looking out over the lake, the rising sun reflecting off of its mirror-like surface and coloring it shining gold. The cloud-streaked sky glowed a rosy pink which was fast fading into white, and that fiery ball, the sun, peeked over the tops of the mountains in the distance. Soon, as she had hoped, a flock of owls emerged from the forest and swooped over the grounds, headed toward their stone owlery. They came in so many sizes and colors, and Luna even thought she could pick out snowy Hedwig from among them, her white plumage making her a standout. Their soft hooting heralded the day and made Luna smile. Soon the first students would be awakening and trickling their way downstairs to breakfast, and her peaceful morning moments would be gone, at least for today. But Luna was happy. The dawn was all hers.

Or so she thought. What Luna was unaware of, what escaped her notice this fine morning, was that she was not, in fact, enjoying this dawn alone. A ways behind her, hidden behind a thick stone pillar, stood Draco Malfoy, also gazing out the vast arched window. And at Luna. Trying to keep his breathing shallow and silent, he peered at her willowy, enchanting visage as she leaned upon the wide sill. He'd been keeping an eye out for her for weeks, wanting to catch a glimpse of this perplexing girl who was a true mystery to him. And, while wandering the deserted halls as he often did on lonely mornings like this, he'd glimpsed her again. He'd seen her floating along, considering every portrait and statue she met along the way, headed to a destination that even she didn't seem to know. He couldn't help but follow her, meters behind in the shadows. Where could this girl need to be at so early an hour? Apparently she just liked to enjoy this time of the day, as he did. He now noticed more details about her; her long, uneven blonde hair that hung in loose ringlets to the middle of her back. The bright, cheery blue and white polka-dotted tights she wore under her school uniform. The gentle, nameless tune she hummed as she looked upon the grounds. She was so…odd. And, Draco noted with some reluctance, she was undeniably beautiful.

For a long time, since he'd known of her, really, Draco had been trying to convince himself that Luna Lovegood was just a crazy, idiotic girl without an ounce of sense. The thing was, this idea was so obviously false that it wasn't long before he'd started to lose conviction that she was really all that bad. She was a little out there, sure, but she was as sharp and clever as any girl he'd known, perhaps more so. And there was just something about her that captured his fascination, held his attention and drew him to her like a moth to a flame. SHE was magic. A different kind, one that few people ever have. A magic of uniqueness and quiet confidence that she possessed, and he feverently admired. And it was for these reasons that Draco could not help but feel the need to learn more about this curious girl that everyone else laughed at with scorn. He wanted her to trust him, to be his friend. Draco had never felt less like being an ass than when he was in her presence. And he thought she could do him good.

The next moment, Draco turned to go back down the hallway to breakfast, being careful not to rustle his robes or breathe too heavily. It was unfortunate for him, though, that he did not think to pick up the hem of his long black robes, and he trod on them, sliding suddenly on the smooth stone and toppling backwards, landing with a thump. He swore under his breath and furtively looked over his shoulder to see Luna's reaction. She jumped at the noise and spun around, looking curiously toward his spot on the ground, stepping closer. He sighed and got up, and turned to face her, knowing speaking to her would be far better than fleeing. Incredibly, at the sight of Draco's straight and stony face, she burst into a smile and said cheerily, "Hello, Draco!"

"Erm, hi, Luna…" he unsteadily replied. "I was just, um, going to the library, don't mind me…" _So much for being direct, _he thought, annoyed with himself. But the sight of her joyful, smiling face had wiped all the conviction from his thoughts.

"Oh really! Yes, I find the school to be a lovely place in the mornings, and the wrakspurts are sleeping right now, so it is a wonderful time to think." Said Luna brightly.

"Wrackspruts…?" He began, but shook his head. "No, Luna, I need to ask you something. I need…your opinion." He took a deep, steadying breath. "Could you ever trust me? Could you ever be my friend?"

"Of course, Draco!" She gushed. "I'm so glad you asked, really. You've always seemed lonely. Hanging around those two boys, but without someone to really care about you. I'd love to be your friend!" And with that, she threw her arms around his neck, nearly making him topple over again and almost knocking him out with the…amazing…fantastic…scent she had which he smelled in her tangled blonde hair.

Feeling somewhat surprised at her observation that HE was the lonely one, though simultaneously realizing just how accurate it was, he allowed her to take his hand as she led him with her to the oak front doors and through them, out into the sunlit grounds, all the while being careful not to stumble as he was feeling rather drunk from her presence.

They meandered over to the lake, stopping several meters away from its edge, where Luna released Draco's hand and spun several times in a circle, her arms outstretched and her skirt twirling around with her. Draco watched, entranced, having to remind himself to breathe. She giggled brightly and pranced back to the boy's side, taking both his hands in hers this time and smiling up at him, her silvery grey eyes shining. Draco's lips broke into a wide smile as well, and his outward stony demeanor shattered right then and there. This time it was he who spun her around in a twirl, and they both danced merrily through the dew-laden grass, jumping and spinning, leaping and running, until they were too breathless and exhausted to take another step. They collapsed together by the water's edge and laughed until the peaceful silence of the late morning ruled again.

Draco rolled over onto his belly and put his head atop his hands, observing Luna again. Her flaxen hair was splayed all around her head like a mane, or a halo. And the rosy pink of her flushed face spread over her cheeks and nose in the most delicate way. Suddenly, Draco felt an odd, warm feeling spread from his heart and throughout his entire body, making him blush and smile, and he felt a rush of intense affection for this unbelievable girl. He knew it was a wonderful feeling –he simply could not wipe that idiotic smile from his face, nor did he want to. He also had the sneaking suspicion that this mysterious, powerful feeling he was experiencing was none other than…love.

Just then, Luna sat up and faced Draco, stretching her arms out and yawning, then looking at him with happy, dazed eyes, a small smile still touching her lips. Draco knew that now was the moment, now was the time to tell her how she made him feel. Even though this feeling of love for her was so new, he also knew it was not going away, and he couldn't hold it inside himself for another second.

"Luna…" He said softly, taking her hands in his in her lap. "Luna, I love you." He looked straight into her fathomless, pearly grey eyes, hoping she would not jerk from him in disgust and dash away, hoping she would say…

"Draco, I love you too." And she smiled her biggest smile yet, her pink blush returning as she leaned forward and placed her lips right onto Draco's unsuspecting ones, wrapping her arms around his neck. After the brief feeling of surprise left him, Draco happily retuned her soft kiss, then broke free and held her gently in his arms, wishing he could stay in that perfect moment forever.

They stayed there together, by the lake, Luna and Draco, for an unknown amount of time. The boy of cold, hard stone shattered by that girl that was such a lively, dancing river. But before long, a bell rang somewhere and students emerged from the school, sitting in the grass to eat their lunches, some coming down to the lake where Luna and Draco still remained. So the pair was forced to stand up and return inside, but that morning had been enough. The best, most perfect morning that either Luna or Draco could've ever imagined. And there was still the next day, and every other day after, they remembered. And, Luna thought, maybe spending mornings with Draco would soon become not so very out of the ordinary after all.


End file.
